Kings might belie their lowly standing
WHEN Allister Coetzee announces the names of the players to participate in the second of three Springbok training camps in the coming days, expect a good number of Southern Kings players to be part of that mix.
The men from the Eastern Cape may not be one of the fanciest teams around and for many the feeling is they should be chopped from Super Rugby, but they have a few individuals in their ranks who would not look out of place in stronger, more established teams, and that may even include the Springbok side.
The reality is the Kings have hardly been pushovers this season. They beat the Sunwolves in Singapore and pushed the Sharks extremely close last weekend and it is because of these quality performances that the Lions are treading very lightly ahead of their round five meeting in Port Elizabeth this afternoon.
Coach Johan Ackermann will have taken notice of how the Sharks battled to get past the Kings and for this reason he has picked his strongest possible team for the match.
Ackermann knows the Kings are on something of a high at the moment, playing with confidence and belief and in men like wing Makazole Mapimpi and flank Chris Cloete there is definitely some star quality.
Mapimpi and Cloete have been sensational this season and they’re sure to keep the Lions on their toes today. Cloete’s openside battle with Jaco Kriel should be fascinating, as will be the contest in several other areas.
Kings No 8 Ruaan Lerm will want to show his former coach Ackermann and his opposite number Warren Whiteley he belongs at this level of the game after not getting much game-time while an employee at Ellis Park, while props Ross Geldenhuys and Schalk van der Merwe are also former Lions players who’ll be out to make a big impression.
On top of that, the Kings boast a real try-hungry fullback in Malcolm Jaer, Waylon Murray is a Bok looking to find his best form, while Lionel Cronjé and Louis Schreuder have always been quality operators. And, in lock Irne Herbst the Kings have found a real workhorse and player with a bright future.
There’s nothing fancy about the Kings, and they don’t ask too many questions with ball in hand – they’ve scored only nine tries compared to the Lions’ 21 – but they can make life very difficult for one, and they’ll no doubt look to do that to the Lions today.
Ackermann will be hoping his side produce the same form they showed against the Reds last weekend, that they maintain their high standards and are able to score some quality tries again. He’ll want them to stay structured and composed – and get the result.
Of course they are the favourites, especially with the likes of Andries Coetzee, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Courtnall Skosan, Ruan Ackermann, Franco Mostert and Malcolm Marx in such fine form, but the Lions will have to work hard for each other this afternoon if they’re to end on the right side of the result.